A mountaineer or backcountry skier is likely to encounter a variety of conditions in an alpine environment. While hiking and climbing one may be required to cross exposed rock, a scree slope, glacial ice, crusted snow, heavy wet snow, powdered snow, and the like. Even where the environment is uniformly covered in snow, the type of snow will not generally be uniform. Although crampons are often used for traction on ice and hardened snow, they are not suitable for soft snow. Likewise, snow shoes are only suitable for soft snow and are not ideal for climbing steeper pitches. Switching between crampons and snow shoes while carrying a pack or skis and wearing heavy winter clothes and gloves is particularly inconvenient.
Accordingly, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a lightweight means for accommodating varying snow conditions with increased convenience.